For its role in contaminating a river with pesticide and causing a large number of fish deaths, a Prince Edward Island farm has been fined $15,000.
Brookfield Gardens Inc. was found guilty of the Fisheries Act violation in Charlottetown provincial court last week after a three-day trial in July.
In August 2014, enforcement officers discovered 1,155 dead trout, Atlantic salmon and sticklebacks within a four-kilometre area of the North River in North Milton. Investigators later concluded that heavy rains caused toxic pesticide from a carrot field to seep into the river.
During the trial, the judge ruled that a major rainfall was a predictable event, thus steps could have been taken by the farm to prevent the contamination.
The Canadian Press reported that the fine will go to the federal Environmental Damages Fund. Brookfield Gardens will also be added to the Environmental Offenders Registry for its violation.
